The Latest: White nationalist hopes to regain tax exemption

The Latest on the U.S. government's revocation of the tax-exempt status of a group run by white nationalist Richard Spencer (all times local):

12:15 p.m.

Prominent white nationalist Richard Spencer says he doesn't have any evidence that his nonprofit organization lost its tax-exempt status for politically motivated reasons.

Spencer told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he is confident his group, the National Policy Institute, can regain its tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Los Angeles Times first reported that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service recently revoked the group's tax exemption for failing to file tax returns for three consecutive years.

Spencer describes the move as a "bump in the road" and says he doesn't' see it as "political assassination." He also acknowledged that "ignorance of the law is not an excuse," but he said he delegated the group's bookkeeping responsibilities to others.

The IRS posted a notice of the group's revocation on its website Monday, but the loss of its tax status is retroactive to May 15, 2016, the date when its most recent tax return was due.

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10:08 a.m.

The federal government has revoked the tax-exempt status of a group run by a prominent white nationalist for its failure to file tax returns.

Internal Revenue Service records show that Richard Spencer's National Policy Institute lost its tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit because it failed to file tax returns for three consecutive years.

Spencer didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment Tuesday. But he told The Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story, that he would appeal the revocation. He blamed it on an IRS error that led him to believe his group was not required to file tax returns.

Spencer popularized the term "alt-right" and is a leading figure in a fringe movement that has been described as a mix of racism, white nationalism and populism.